Apparatus for applying paraffin to soap cakes



May 29, 1923.

G. A. DOSTAL FOR APPLYING PARAFFIN TO SOAP CAKES APPARATUS Filed March14 1921 Patented May 29, 1923.

GEORGE A. DOSTAL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

ASSIGNOR T PIGTOBIAL SOAP HANUFAC TUBING CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N.Y., A CORPOBATION DF NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FQR APPLYING PARAFFIN TO 805? CAKES.

Application filed llaroh'm, 1921.

To all whom it may cpnaem:

Be it known that GEORGE A. DOSTAL, a citizen of the United States, andresident of the borough of Manhattan, city and State 6 of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for ApplyingParaffin to Soap Cakes, of WhlCh the following is a specification.

The resent invention relates to apparatus 10 for a xing labels, and moreespecially to apparatus for applying paraffin to soap cakes to protectone face thereof against wearing away in useand to serve as an adhesiveto secure a label to the soap cake 1n such manner that the label will beretained upon the soap cake until the soap has been entirely used.

The invention has for an ob ect to provide improved apparatus forapplying the paraflin to the soap cakes.

The apparatus may be used in connection with any label-applying meanswhich is arranged to appl labels to the coated surface of the soap ca epreferably while the par- 'afiin is still in a soft and tacky condition.

After the labels are applied they are preferably smoothed out forinstance by apparatus such as described in my application for LettersPatent of the United States for label afiixin' apparatus filed of evendate herewith erial No. 452,148. The nature and object of the inventionwill be better understood from a description of an illustrativeembodiment thereof.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof Figure 1 is a planview of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention Fig. 2is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

The apparatus illustrated comprises parallel ways 5, 5 a conveyormechanism for moving soap cakes successively along said ways, a paraflintank 6 with means for heating the parafiin to maintaln it in meltedcondition and one or more wicks 7 adapted to feed parafiin from the tankto the soap cakes.

The parallel spaced ways 5, 5 are arranged to engage and support thesoapcake only adjacent to the side edges thereof as shown in Fig. 3. Thetank 6 is open at the top and extends immediately beneath and longi-Serial No. 452,149.

aflin therein is maintained preferably rela-' tively close to the soapcakes inorder that the portion of the wick extending from the level ofthe liquid to the point of application to the soap cake may be as shortas possible, and also in order that the coating of paraffin may besubjected to the heat radiating from the tank of paratn'n. A pluralityof wicks 7 at spaced points are arranged in the tank to wipe against anddeliver parafiin to the under-face of the soap cakes as they pass alongthe ways and over the tank 6. As a soap cake passes over the wickssuccessive coatings of paraffin are wiped on to its lower face until thedesired thickness is applied. Any desired number of wicks may beemployed, two being shown in the structure illustrated.

Suitable means is provided for heating the tank as for example anelectric coil 8 positioned beneath the bottom of the tank and betweendownwardly extending flanges 9 formed on the tank. Preferably means isprovided for maintaining a circulation of paraflin in the tank. Asshown, a supply tank 10 is provided, having a connection 11 7 with themaintank 6 which connection is controlled by a valve 12. A second tank13, positioned at a lower level, is connected by means of an overflowpipe 14 to the main tank so as to permit the paraffin in the tank 6 tobe maintained at the desired level.

The conveying means for pushing forward the soap cakes comprises belts15 arranged frictionally to engage the side edges only of the soap cakesand to move the same forward. These belts are mounted on pulleys 16, 17arranged in pairs, a pulley of each pair being positively driven as fromshafts 18, 18 extending longitudinally above and parallel to the ways 5.

It has been found in practice that conveyor belts have a tendency todisplace some of the soap cakes from true horizontal position by liftingone edge thereof, and that if these belts were to continue in engagementwith the soap cakes as the latter pass over the wick, the variations inposition of the cakes would cause an uneven coating of paraffin upontheir faces. In order to avoid such uneven coating I arrange the beltsso that one pair of belts moves the soap cakes to a oint near to, butnot in engagement with, each wick and another pair of belts ment withthe wick, each cake being pushed gage onl over the wicks by the cakeimmediately behind. By this arrangement each soap cake engages the wickswithout interference by the belts, and therefore each soap cake of agiven size engages the wicks with the same pressure and receives thesame coating of paraffin. Guides 19-, 19 are preferably rovided to idethe soap cakes laterally urin the time they are not engaged by the be ts15.

The apparatus shown is capable of operation with soap cakes of variousshapes but is more particularly designed for'use with soap cakes havinga raised central portion with thinner edge portions. Such a cake isshown at 20 in end view in Fig. 3 the raised central portion being shownat 21. The label is applied to thecentral raised portion and to thatportion the paraflin is applied. The ways are arranged to enthe thinneredge ortions of the cake an therefore do not ecome coated with parafiin.The ways 5, 5 are made adjustable toward and from each other by means ofa bolt and slot connection with the support as indicated at 22 in F g.3.

In operation the soap cakes as introduced into the machine arerelatively cold. As the cake passes the first wick a thin film ofparafiin is wiped onto the cake and is cooled thereby and thereforehardened. The opter surface of the film is however subjected to the heatradiating from the hot parafiin in the tank 6, and therefore does notcompletely harden. As the soap cake passes the next wick another coatingis applied and, because the surface of the receding coating is inrelatively soft condition, a firm adherence is obtained.

Par-afiin having a high melting point is preferably used in coating thesoap in order that it may not be affected in use by hot water.

It is to be understood that variations in the particular structureillustrated may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention, the scope of which is indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus of the character described comprising in combinationparallel spaced ways arranged to support soap cakes adjacent their sideedges only, a parafiin tank beneath said ways, heating means therefor,said tank being arranged to radiate heat against the soap cakes on theways, a wick arranged to conduct paraffin from the tank and appl it tothe under face of soap cakes moved a ong said ways, and conveyor meansfor movin soap cakes along said ways and over sai wick.

2. An apparatus of the character described comprising in combinationparallel spaced ways arranged to support soap cakes adjacent their sideedges only, a paraffin tank beneath said ways, heating means therefor, awick in said tank arranged to engage the under faces of soap cakespassing along said ways to apply paraffin thereto, and conveyor meansfor movin soap cakes along said ways and over sai wick, said meansconsisting of pairs of belts arranged to frictionally engage the sideedges only of the soap cakes to move the same along said ways said beltsbeing so arranged that during the time a soap cake is passing over thewick it is entirely disengaged from the belts and is moved forward onlyby the pressure of the following soap cake, sub stantially as and forthe purpose described.

3. In apparatus of the character described the combination with parallelspaced ways arranged to support soap cakes adjacent their side edgesonly, a paraffin tank beneath said ways, heating means therefor and aplurality of wicks in said tank at spaced points along said waysarranged to engage the under faces of soap cakes passing along said wayssuccessively to apply parafiin thereto, of conveyor means for movingsoap cakes along said Ways and over said wicks comprising pairs of beltsarranged to frictionally engage the side edges only of the soap cakes tomove the same along said ways said belts being so arranged that duringthe time of soap cakes passing over the wicks it is entirely disengagedfrom the belt and is moved forward only by the pressure of thesucceeding soap cakes but is again engaged and moved forward by saidbelts as soon as it passes free of said wicks, substantially as and forthe purpose decribed.

4. In apparatus of the character described the combination with parallelspaced ways arranged to support soap cakes adjacent their side edgesonly, a parafiin tank beneath said Ways, heating means therefor and aplurality of wicks in said tank at spaced points along said waysarranged to engage the under faces of soap cakes passing along said wayssuccessively to apply paraffin thereto, of conveyor means for movingsoap cakes along said ways and over said wicks comprising pairs of beltsarranged to frictionally engage the side edges only of the soap cakes tomove the same along said ways said belts being so arranged that duringthe time of soap cakes passing over the wicks it is entirely disengagedfrom the belt and is moved forward only by the pressure of thesucceeding soap cake but is again engaged and moved forward by saidbelts as soon as it passes free of said wicks, of belts arranged tofrictionally engage the side edges only of the soap cakes to move thesame along said ways so that the soap cakes Wipe over said wickssuccessively, said tank being open at the top to cause the soap cakes tobe subjected to heat radiating from the paraflin in said tank betweenWicks substantially as and for the purpose described. i

5. The method of applying paraflin to soap cakes which comprisesapplying successively a plurality of coats of parafiin to one face of asoap cake and applying heat to said soap cakes between the applicationsof parafiin substantiallyas and for the purpose described.-

6. In apparatus of the character de scribed the combination with spacedparallel ways arranged to support soap cakes having a raised centralface portion by engaging said soap cakes adjacent their side edges, ofan open parafiin tank positioned beneath said ways and a wick in saidtank, the top of the wick being on a lower level than the ways andarranged to apply parafiin to the raised central portion of said soapcakes substantially as and for the purpose described.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set m hand.

y GEORGE A. DOSTAL.

